reinstall of ubuntu grub failed to install on drive sda

[David C. Findlay]

This was a repair install of ubuntu 15.10.
Install had completed and system was trying to install grub2 which failed to install.
system did not give any other error messages

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
Package: ubiquity 2.21.37 [modified: lib/partman/automatically_partition/question]
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-16.19-generic 4.2.3
Uname: Linux 4.2.0-16-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu3
Architecture: amd64
CasperVersion: 1.365
Date: Thu May 5 00:49:39 2016
InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz.efi file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash ---
LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
ProcEnviron:
 LANGUAGE=en_GB.UTF-8
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
SourcePackage: grub-installer
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

You are trying to install Ubuntu in bios mode to a disk that is partitioned using GPT. You need to create a 1 mb bios_grub partition to do this, or install in EFI mode instead.

[David C. Findlay (davidcfindlay)]

Hi there,
I have just confirmed using Paragon Hard Disk Manager 15 that both the disk
I am installing Linux onto and my main drive are Basic MBR Hard Drives. My
other drives are all GPT but they are solely Windows drives and therefore
have no effect on the install.
When the install askes me about it seeing an EFI type bios and ask it to
use the EFI install.
The install completes and then grub 2 fails to be written to the mbr of sda
which is also my C: drive for my windows install. I am going to rewrite the
MBR completely using windows recovery dos window and try again.

  Yours faithfully,
           David Findlay

On 6 May 2016 at 03:06, Phillip Susi <email address hidden> wrote:

> You are trying to install Ubuntu in bios mode to a disk that is
> partitioned using GPT. You need to create a 1 mb bios_grub partition to
> do this, or install in EFI mode instead.
>
>
> ** Changed in: grub-installer (Ubuntu)
> Status: New => Invalid
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1578439
>
> Title:
> reinstall of ubuntu grub failed to install on drive sda
>
> Status in grub-installer package in Ubuntu:
> Invalid
>
> Bug description:
> This was a repair install of ubuntu 15.10.
> Install had completed and system was trying to install grub2 which
> failed to install.
> system did not give any other error messages
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
> Package: ubiquity 2.21.37 [modified:
> lib/partman/automatically_partition/question]
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-16.19-generic 4.2.3
> Uname: Linux 4.2.0-16-generic x86_64
> ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu3
> Architecture: amd64
> CasperVersion: 1.365
> Date: Thu May 5 00:49:39 2016
> InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz.efi
> file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash ---
> LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANGUAGE=en_GB.UTF-8
> PATH=(custom, no user)
> XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
> LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
> SourcePackage: grub-installer
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub-installer/+bug/1578439/+subscriptions
>

[Phillip Susi (psusi)]

If you want to install in EFI mode, then you need to use GPT on the disk you are installing Ubuntu to, and make sure it has an EFI system partition ( this will be done automatically if you choose the automatic install options, but you have to do it for a manual partitioned install ).

Of course, this will make dual booting with a bios mode Windows install particularly difficult if it is even possible at all, therefore it is best to stick with a bios mode install.

[David C. Findlay (davidcfindlay)]

Hi there,
  Before I carried out the install I checked to see if there was a newer
bios for my motherboard and there was.
  Updated it and then carried out the install from scratch using EFI mode.
  The main drive C: is a 1TB SSD. but it is not seen as SDA1 but SDD1 so
the install i=of grub failed again.
  I installed a program called boot-repair and ran it.
  This allowed me to tell system to use SDD1 to install grub2 on.
  This it did and system is now working fine.
  I can now duel boot Windows 10 and Ubuntu 16.04 LTS.

 Thanks for your help.

   Yours faithfully,
       David C. Findlay.

On 9 May 2016 at 13:55, Phillip Susi <email address hidden> wrote:

> If you want to install in EFI mode, then you need to use GPT on the disk
> you are installing Ubuntu to, and make sure it has an EFI system
> partition ( this will be done automatically if you choose the automatic
> install options, but you have to do it for a manual partitioned install
> ).
>
> Of course, this will make dual booting with a bios mode Windows install
> particularly difficult if it is even possible at all, therefore it is
> best to stick with a bios mode install.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1578439
>
> Title:
> reinstall of ubuntu grub failed to install on drive sda
>
> Status in grub-installer package in Ubuntu:
> Invalid
>
> Bug description:
> This was a repair install of ubuntu 15.10.
> Install had completed and system was trying to install grub2 which
> failed to install.
> system did not give any other error messages
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 15.10
> Package: ubiquity 2.21.37 [modified:
> lib/partman/automatically_partition/question]
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.2.0-16.19-generic 4.2.3
> Uname: Linux 4.2.0-16-generic x86_64
> ApportVersion: 2.19.1-0ubuntu3
> Architecture: amd64
> CasperVersion: 1.365
> Date: Thu May 5 00:49:39 2016
> InstallCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/casper/vmlinuz.efi
> file=/cdrom/preseed/ubuntu.seed boot=casper only-ubiquity quiet splash ---
> LiveMediaBuild: Ubuntu 15.10 "Wily Werewolf" - Release amd64 (20151021)
> ProcEnviron:
> LANGUAGE=en_GB.UTF-8
> PATH=(custom, no user)
> XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
> LANG=en_GB.UTF-8
> SourcePackage: grub-installer
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
>
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/grub-installer/+bug/1578439/+subscriptions
>